# Add a Few Voices



## Joe Sticks (May 31, 2016)

I'm newly back into cigars for a few months now. As I've gotten back into this, I've introduced cigars to a few friends & family. And a some of them have become very interested too. 
Please don't forget that we could use lots of allies in turning back the FDA over reach. Tell like minded people about this. Some may not even be cigar smokers. Tell them about the FDA redefining 'youth' to include adults up to the age of 30. That'll get the attention of like minded folks who support personal liberty and dislike government bureaucrats meddling in our lives. Don't forget some of the ladies. Fewer of them smoke cigars. But, I've run into several of them who have fond memories of their fathers and grandfathers smoking cigars. They'll take the few minutes to sign the petition and fill out the form to contact their legislators too. You just have to take a little time to properly present it to them. We could use all the allies we can find. There might be more out there than you first imagined. - Thanks


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## MikeFox87 (May 5, 2016)

I would never discourage anyone from taking this approach. I'll admit though, I've tried it on more than one occasion and it just never seems to get anywhere. I'll post about the FDA on Facebook, even appealing to those I know who vape as well, and they never get engagement. And I know it's just the subject matter because when I talk about sports, music, or even other topics with political undertones typically do better. Bottom line to me, we've hammered into everyone's heads from an early age that smoking is bad and tobacco kills. People either just don't care, or maybe worse, they think the FDA knows what's best for us.

I've even said stuff like, "take the stand now before something you enjoy is next. Craft beer, wine, friggin scented candles. Nothing is safe" -- crickets.

To me, our best hope is the anti-FDA lawsuits filed by some of the manufacturers.


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## Joe Sticks (May 31, 2016)

MikeFox87 said:


> I would never discourage anyone from taking this approach. I'll admit though, I've tried it on more than one occasion and it just never seems to get anywhere. I'll post about the FDA on Facebook, even appealing to those I know who vape as well, and they never get engagement. And I know it's just the subject matter because when I talk about sports, music, or even other topics with political undertones typically do better. Bottom line to me, we've hammered into everyone's heads from an early age that smoking is bad and tobacco kills. People either just don't care, or maybe worse, they think the FDA knows what's best for us.
> 
> I've even said stuff like, "take the stand now before something you enjoy is next. Craft beer, wine, friggin scented candles. Nothing is safe" -- crickets.
> 
> To me, our best hope is the anti-FDA lawsuits filed by some of the manufacturers.


I don't know what it is MikeFox. Look at the number of views of this thread. At the time I write this it is 78. In the meantime, a thread on Boveda packs or beetles will get hundreds if not thousands of views.
And look at how low the number of signatures there are for the petition to fight this.

Cigars & tobacco are very small matters in the overall national picture. We have a lot more serious things to be concerned about in this country today. That said, I wonder if that apathy comes from too many distractions (spectator sports, t.v. shows, etc) combined with a sense that American citizens aren't heard or paid attention to by the political class no matter what they do.


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## TCstr8 (Mar 30, 2016)

Personally, I'm in the mortgage industry, and it seems that there is an almost constant battle between those on the front lines and the CFPB, HUD, acronym after acronym. At the end of the day, there isn't enough pressure from the front lines to do anything about any of the idiotic regulations they put into place. Just bend over and take it.

Ever since the housing market crash, there has been change after change, basically closing the barn door after the horse has bolted. And those of us still in the industry have learned to adapt.

In general, I look at most government over regulation the same. Bend over and take it and along the way complain about it or just get ready to adapt.

As far as the FDA and NC regulation, I'm wondering if the way to adapt is to rely more heavily on the vendors outside of the US. Sure, there would be potential customs issues, but alot of folks deal with that now.


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## Joe Sticks (May 31, 2016)

@TCstr8 - my thoughts on this exactly. I won't be surprised that some of the operations that have facilities in the NC countries will completely move outside the U.S. and then just use the HabanosSA marketing model. And maybe some of the small boutique blenders - - who have others physically put the cigars together for them - will do the same. What a total goat*+%£ ! Imagine what would happen to the micro beer brewing industry if the same was done to them. (Some big corporation brewers and their cronies in governnent have probably fantasized about that.)


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## MikeFox87 (May 5, 2016)

TCstr8 said:


> In general, I look at most government over regulation the same. Bend over and take it and along the way complain about it or just get ready to adapt.


That's basically what it boils down to, unfortunately. Uncle Sam knows short of starting a revolution, there isn't a whole lot we can do about it - of course, aside from just flipping Sammy double birds and disobeying the rules. But we'd need the NC manufacturers to stay in business in an attempt to get a chunk of Habanos SA's world market share for that to be a viable option. Which is something that I've waffled on over the course of the last 3 months. There are already vendors that can get CC's into the USA, so that foundation is already there. Why not NC's too? Factor in that I think a lot of these NC cigar makers would jump at the chance to stick it to Cuba and cut into their profits. But who knows? The next few years should be pretty fascinating, that's for sure.


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## Grey Goose (May 24, 2016)

Joe Sticks said:


> I don't know what it is MikeFox. Look at the number of views of this thread. As the time I write this it is 78. In the meantime, a thread on Boveda packs or beetles will get hundreds if not thousands of views.


I applaud you're diligence and am like minded...

...perhaps the next thread you post should be titled "Beetles are not the real problem", or "Polls show a majority of cigar smokers are pansies"!

...then address the reasons why its true.

Good luck and keep up the effort!!!


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## Chad Vegas (Sep 29, 2015)

MikeFox87 said:


> I would never discourage anyone from taking this approach. I'll admit though, I've tried it on more than one occasion and it just never seems to get anywhere. I'll post about the FDA on Facebook, even appealing to those I know who vape as well, and they never get engagement. And I know it's just the subject matter because when I talk about sports, music, or even other topics with political undertones typically do better. Bottom line to me, we've hammered into everyone's heads from an early age that smoking is bad and tobacco kills. People either just don't care, or maybe worse, they think the FDA knows what's best for us.
> 
> I've even said stuff like, "take the stand now before something you enjoy is next. Craft beer, wine, friggin scented candles. Nothing is safe" -- crickets.
> 
> To me, our best hope is the anti-FDA lawsuits filed by some of the manufacturers.


Very true. I'm banking my hope in the lawsuits as well.:vs_cool:


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